Support

Consumer representation on health related committees and working groups is recognised as an effective strategy to improve the outcomes of the health care system for health consumers.  Effective consumer representation ensures that the experiences and knowledge of people who use health care services informs policy, planning, service delivery and evaluation.

HCCA provides training and ongoing support to consumer representatives so that they can be effective in their role.  It is important that consumer representatives have strong connections to consumer networks and have opportunities to talk to other consumers to ensure a broader perspective.  HCCA provides a range of opportunities for this to happen, including:

• Regular forums for consumer representatives to report back to HCCA about their representative work, network with others and keep up to date on health policy developments;
• Facilitating mentoring relationships between representatives; and
• Information sessions, consultations and Health Issues Group meetings throughout the year.

The function of the Consumer Representatives Program is to nominate, support, train and coordinate consumer representatives for health committees to ensure that the views and interests of consumers are represented. HCCA supports consumer representatives by providing a range of resources including:

• Website (providing easy access to nomination forms, meeting report forms, fact sheets, guidelines, publications, submissions)
• Blog with topical issues
• Consumer Bites  newsletter
• Support and networking fora
• Telephone support

The Consumers Health Forum of Australia also has a range of materials to support consumer representative and these are available on their website.

Experienced Consumer Representative and HCCA Executive Committee Member, Russell McGowan, has created some guidelines for representatives which can downloaded below.  Thanks to Janne Graham for her input.